HIGH Wycombe's former mayor held her last public engagement for the role to reward organisations in the town.

Wycombe District Councillor Valerie Razzaq presented cheques with funds raised from her Mayor's Appeal to Wycombe Hospital's Renal Unit, South Central Ambulance Service and South Buckinghamshire Alzheimer's Society at a ceremony at the Liberal Club in Queen Victoria Road last night.

Cllr Razzaq said: “We held race nights, raffles, street collections, murder mystery just so many things. I wanted to do something for the renal unit because most mayors do something for the hospital and I knew ours needed a new dialysis machine.

“I am very happy we got there with today's climate. I do admire them.”

Margaret Townsend, unit manager at the renal unit, said 65 patients currently use the £14,000 dialysis machine it plans to purchase with the funds.

“It will be an additional machine we use for patients who are unstable or less well on dialysis such as elderly patients. We try to make it more comfortable for them.

“It's an honour to be chosen and to have that amount raised is fantastic.”

South Central Ambulance representative Marc Lister was presented with a cheque for £1,344 for the service.

The cyclist paramedic said: “It's going to High Wycombe ambulance station hopefully for new equipment and training to develop skills to deal with the type of jobs we get in the community.

"Hopefully it will be going towards things like lifting cushions to help people up from the floor and development of the cycle response team.

“It's such an amazing and generous amount.”

South Buckinghamshire Alzheimer's Society used the funds for a boat trip on the Thames for 100 carers and people they look after – with some left over to plan a Christmas lunch.

Sarah Lewis, treasurer for the society based in Beaconsfield, said: “This is the icing on the cake.

"We hold support groups and visit people at home, supporting carers and the people they care for.”